The now-former Home Secretary's announcement this morning that he won't be a contender for the Labour leadership makes it frankly irresistible to indulge in a bit more idle speculation about who Labour's London mayoral candidate for 2012 will be. Well, it's a New Dawn and all that, isn't? Let's get silly for a while.
Johnson would be a formidable candidate. He's London born and raised, sounds like it when he talks and used to work as a postman here. He also used to be a far-lefty, which doesn't hurt in London politics, and was in a couple of pop bands during his youth. Linda Grant, who we can be quite sure knows all about Ben Shermans and sta-prest trousers, describes him as "a Kings Road Mod". She adds that he has, "A wardrobe of Vivienne Westwood ties, and some Kenzo."
The man is plainly quite a tart. He's growing on me.
Disadvantages? Too orthodox in top brass Labour terms, except on electoral reform. No idea what his vision for London is and, being an MP for Hull, there's a sense in which he's long been far from his home city.
What odds might I get on a Johnson versus Johnson contest in 2012? Nothing doing just now at William Hill, with whom I've already taken semi-whimsical punts on Baron Mandelson and Harriet Harman - their Mayoral Specials page has been de-commissioned. Maybe it's only temporary, while they adjust to the heaving of the political landscape.
Seriously, though, all I ask from the Labour Party at this stage is a fair and open contest for the mayoral nomination and a good, broad range of potential candidates. Anything less would be a sign that the worst elements of "New" Labour have lingered on and the party's hopes of taking back City Hall damaged accordingly.
Update, 10:05 Further important necktie insights here.
